Alexander Douglas-Douglas - Australian native police officer

[William Douglas]

Some alarming facts have been added to Alexander Douglas-Douglas's Wikipedia profile.

Alexander was a naval officer, an explorer, a teamster, officer in the Native Police and a chief inspector of police in Queensland. And, it his time with the police that has been called into question.

Douglas was appointed Acting Sub-Inspector at Marlborough in early 1873 and was immediately expected to give "salutary lessons" to the local Aboriginal people. This he proceeded to do by leading his troopers in massacres of Aboriginals at St Lawrence and at Calliope. Public pressure from media reports forced an enquiry to be held at the Prospect Hotel in Calliope headed by other police officers, but despite clear evidence multiple people were shot dead, Douglas was exonerated of charges of wantonly destroying life. Later in 1873, Douglas' entire detachment of troopers deserted with allegations of floggings and cruel treatment by Douglas being the reason.

In early 1874, Douglas was transferred north to the Cooktown region where he and his troopers patrolled the Palmer River, Normanby and Hodgkinson goldfields. He blazed a new trail from the Palmer goldfields to Cooktown and led several extrajudicial "dispersals" of Aboriginals. In late 1874, after the killing of the Stroh family travelling to the Palmer River, Douglas led severe reprisals against Aboriginals in the area. Newspaper articles reported that "the blacks...died the death they so richly deserved and...we may hope that his Sniders will reach a few more of them."

[Russell Lynn Drysdale]

Alarming indeed .